Ubuntu doesn't like fullscreen mode for sauerbraten(game)

[Paul]

When I run sauerbraten in fullscreen mode in Ubuntu 18.10, there are "skips" in the animation of the rotating cubes. Upon further "evaluation", I noticed the system mouse pointer "popping up" briefly at the moment of the glitch(near the crosshair) about once a second. When not in fullscreen, the animation is smooth(no visible skips/glitches) and I don't see the system mouse pointer "popping up" every second. It works fine in fullscreen mode in Ubuntu 18.04.

To recreate/observe the problem:
    0. Boot into Ubuntu 18.10
    1. Install sauerbraten
    2. Start sauerbraten
    3. Set sauerbraten to fullscreen mode(sauerbraten->options..->display->fullscreen)
    4. Start a game(I like sauerbraten->bot match->start match->ctf->europium)
    5. Move forward with the 'w' key(steer with the mouse) to some rotating cubes. Here you should notice the glitch in rotation and the _system_ mouse pointer flickering in and out near the crosshair at a rate of about once a second.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.10
Package: xorg 1:7.7+19ubuntu8
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.18.0-10.11-generic 4.18.12
Uname: Linux 4.18.0-10-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.10-0ubuntu13
Architecture: amd64
BootLog: Error: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/var/log/boot.log'
CasperVersion: 1.399
CompositorRunning: None
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Tue Oct 30 21:46:28 2018
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: cosmic
DistroVariant: ubuntu
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation 3rd Gen Core processor Graphics Controller [8086:0166] (rev 09) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. 3rd Gen Core processor Graphics Controller [1043:2102]
LiveMediaBuild: Ubuntu 18.10 "Cosmic Cuttlefish" - Release amd64 (20181017.3)
MachineType: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. K55A
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm-256color
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=C.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=(loop)/casper/vmlinuz boot=casper iso-scan/filename=/Downloads/username-18.10-desktop-amd64.iso ipv6.disable=1 net.ifnames=0 quiet splash
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 12/25/2012
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: K55A.407
dmi.board.asset.tag: ATN12345678901234567
dmi.board.name: K55A
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
dmi.board.version: 1.0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
dmi.chassis.version: 1.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrK55A.407:bd12/25/2012:svnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:pnK55A:pvr1.0:rvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:rnK55A:rvr1.0:cvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:ct10:cvr1.0:
dmi.product.family: K
dmi.product.name: K55A
dmi.product.sku: ASUS-NotebookSKU
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
version.compiz: compiz N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.95-1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 18.2.2-0ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx N/A
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.20.1-3ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:18.1.0-1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.917+git20171229-1ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.15-3

[Paul (paulr-ta)]

I'm not sure if it's related, but graphic games under dosbox, such as Scorched Earth, fail to capture the mouse in Ubuntu 18.10. They work fine(mouse is captured/functional) in Ubuntu 18.04*.

[Paul (paulr-ta)]

A little more info:

_As soon as_ you switch sauerbraten(multiverse package) to fullscreen(Step 3, above) in Ubuntu 18.10, the system mouse pointer starts the flickering in the middle of the screen(about once a second). While moving the _game_ mouse pointer around, like in circles, the system mouse pointer ceases to flicker/interrupt the game. Once you stop moving the game mouse pointer around, the flickering of the system mouse pointer returns.

[Paul (paulr-ta)]

It appears that the xinput devices(keyboard/mouse) are being hijacked by desktop? As long as there is user input(keyboard/mouse activity) at least once second within Sauerbraten, everything works as expected in Ubuntu 18.10. Further bug info: I noticed that if you're moving forward with the 'w' key(with no mouse activity), and jump(press 'spacebar') while keeping the 'w' key pressed, the bug returns about a second later. The forward movement stops and the rogue mouse pointer returns to flickering, as if there is no user activity, or as if the user input activity has been cleared/reset. ***If you _don't_ jump while moving forward, the forward movement continues as expected and the rogue mouse pointer stays away. When there is no user input/activity for about 1 second, the flickering mouse pointer returns. Again, everything works as expected in Ubuntu 18.04. Thanks!

PS. Sorting straces of Sauerbraten seem show a similar number of epoll calls as flickers of the rogue mouse pointer, but that was a hack at trouble-shooting and may be unrelated. Thank again!

[Paul (paulr-ta)]

Correction: not _epoll_, but _poll_. Again, it was a hack at trouble-shooting and may be unrelated.

Sorted Sauerbraten strace log snip:
---
     11 poll([{fd=7, events=POLLIN}], 1, -1) = 1 ([{fd=7, revents=POLLIN}])
     11 poll([{fd=7, events=POLLIN|POLLOUT}], 1, -1) = 1 ([{fd=7, revents=POLLOUT}])
     11 poll([{fd=8, events=POLLIN}], 1, -1) = 1 ([{fd=8, revents=POLLIN}])
     11 poll([{fd=8, events=POLLIN|POLLOUT}], 1, -1) = 1 ([{fd=8, revents=POLLOUT}])
---

Generated by stracing sauerbraten in fullscreen mode, counting 10 rogue mouse pointer flickers, and exiting game.

[Krótki (kr0tki)]

The issue described in Post #4 seems to also occur in DOSbox (package 0.74-2-1) - when running fullscreen and pressing two or more keys simultaneously, one of them stops being registered a while later.

Here are a few test cases, using the freeware game "Tyrian 2000", available at http://members.iinet.net.au/~vannevar/tyrian/downloads.html

=== Case A ===

Steps to reproduce:
1. Have "Tyrian 2000" running in DosBOX.
2. If DOSBox is not fullscreen, press Alt+Enter to switch it to fullscreen.
3. Run the game (Start New Game -> 1 Player Arcade -> Episode 1 -> Normal)
4. Enter "Options -> Keyboard" and verify the key for "Fire" - by default it is Spacebar.
5. Back out two menus and go "Start Level".
6. Press and hold the fire key (Space bar).
7. Press and release any other key, for example "J".

Expected result:
The ship ingame shoots projectiles as long as the fire key (Space bar) is being pressed.

Actual result:
The ship stops shooting about a second after the "J" key was released, even though the fire key is still being pressed.

=== Case B ===

Steps to reproduce:
1. Repeat steps 1-7 from Case A.
2. Before the ship stops firing as in Case A's actual result, start moving the mouse continuously.
3. Stop moving the mouse.

Expected result:
The ship ingame shoots projectiles as long as the fire key (Space bar) is being pressed. Moving the mouse, while it results in moving the ship, does not influence the ship firing in any way.

Actual result:
The ship stops shooting about a second after the mouse stopped being moved, even though the fire key is still being pressed.

=== Case C ===

Steps to reproduce:
1. Connect a USB gamepad. Test using jstest-gtk that is works correctly.
2. Have DOSBox configured to use joysticks. (Basically, in .dosbox/dosbox-0.74-2.conf, have "joysticktype" set to "auto").
3. Repeat steps 1-3 from Case A.
4. Enter "Options -> Keyboard" and verify the joystick button assigned for "Fire main weapons" - by default it is button 1.
5. Back out two menus and go "Start Level".
6. Press and hold the gamepad's fire button.

Expected result:
The ship ingame shoots projectiles as long as the fire button is being pressed.

Actual result:
The ship stops shooting about 1-2 seconds after the fire button was pressed, even though it is still not released.

=== Case D ===

Steps to reproduce:
1. Repeat steps 1-6 from Case C.
2. Before the ship stops firing as in Case C's actual result, start moving the mouse continuously.
3. Stop moving the mouse.

Expected result:
The ship ingame shoots projectiles as long as the fire button is being pressed. Moving the mouse, while it results in moving the ship, does not influence the ship firing in any way.

Actual result:
The ship stops shooting about a second after the mouse stopped being moved, even though the fire button is still being pressed.

All 4 cases worked fine in Ubuntu 18.04.

All 4 cases also work fine when DOSBox is in windowed mode, probably because in windowed mode it does not grab mouse input. Actually, it might be another related bug: clicking on DOSBox's window should "lock the mouse", ie. all mouse input should be now grabbed by DOSBox, until the user presses Ctrl+F10 to unlock the...

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Thank you for reporting this bug to Ubuntu.
Ubuntu 18.10 (cosmic) reached end-of-life on July 18, 2019.

See this document for currently supported Ubuntu releases:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases

We appreciate that this bug may be old and you might not be interested in discussing it any more. But if you are then please upgrade to the latest Ubuntu version and re-test. If you then find the bug is still present in the newer Ubuntu version, please add a comment here telling us which new version it is in and change the bug status to Confirmed.

[Paul (paulr-ta)]

The bug started Ubuntu 18.10 and continues in 19.04 with all updates applied as of the date of this comment. Again, it seems like the Ubuntu Desktop, as of 18.10, is continuously(once a second) hijacking the mouse and keyboard from Sauerbraten when running in full-screen mode. Thanks.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Thank you for reporting this bug to Ubuntu.
Ubuntu 19.04 (disco) reached end-of-life on January 23, 2020.

See this document for currently supported Ubuntu releases:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases

We appreciate that this bug may be old and you might not be interested in discussing it any more. But if you are then please upgrade to the latest Ubuntu version and re-test. If you then find the bug is still present in the newer Ubuntu version, please add a comment here telling us which new version it is in and change the bug status to Confirmed.

[Paul (paulr-ta)]

A "renegade mouse pointer" still flickers about once a second in the center of the screen in Sauerbraten full screen mode in Ubuntu 19.10 with updates thru 01-25-2020. Game play is better, though.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Thank you for reporting this bug to Ubuntu.
Ubuntu 19.10 (eoan) reached end-of-life on July 17, 2020.

See this document for currently supported Ubuntu releases:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases

We appreciate that this bug may be old and you might not be interested in discussing it any more. But if you are then please upgrade to the latest Ubuntu version and re-test. If you then find the bug is still present in the newer Ubuntu version, please add a comment here telling us which new version it is in and change the bug status to Confirmed.